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Author Notes:This is a really good banana bread that manages to have a kind of dark caramelly flavour without overdoing the actual sugar and fat (though not exactly "light" - it aims rather to optimize its moderation). A part of the caramelly flavor is donated by the dates and another part by the piloncillo, a very dark cane sugar sold in solid form in grocery stores anywhere there is a Latin American clientele. Mixing the sugar with the wet ingredients first helps to dissolve it. If piloncillo is not accessible use the darkest brown sugar you can find. —Starmade

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Makes 1 loaf

sweet and wet ingredients

2
very ripe bananas

1/3
cup sour cream

1
egg

1/2
cup piloncillo, grated and packed

1/4
cup melted butter

2
teaspoons vanilla

dry ingredients

3/4
cup unbleached white flour

3/4
cup whole wheat flour

1/2
teaspoon salt

1/2
teaspoon nutmeg (or to taste)

1/2
teaspoon baking soda

1
teaspoon baking powder

1/2
cup dates, pitted and chopped up

1/2
cup pecans, broken

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare loaf pan with butter or liner. Chop dates and break up pecans. Grate and measure the piloncillo.

In a mixing bowl, mash banana and mix in grated sugar and all the wet ingredients except for the melted butter; keep stirring till sugar melts completely and mixture is uniform, aside from a few lumps from the banana. Then stir in the melted butter.

Add the dry ingredients and stir in; do not overmix. Dump in dates and nuts and stir some more. Scrape into prepared pan.

Bake about 50 minutes or till done (but do not overbake; in my oven, 50 minutes is perfect).